Communal MK3 Cavalier Thread

[Split_Pin]

Looks to have a few issues at the back!

Bet the Calibra was nice!

[aldo135]

6 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Looks to have a few issues at the back!

Bet the Calibra was nice!

Yeah, it does look a bit worse for wear, will get a better picture. 
The Calibra was lovely, a blue SE8 I think, not sure if I have a picture of it. I sold it to buy an old Triumph 2000 

[Split_Pin]

That's an eclectic part of your motoring timeline alright 😀

[Burnside]

13 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I have found a plaque in the spares stash of my Cav which was issued to all vehicle exhibitors at The Vauxhall Show in Billing Aquadrome in 2010. I had the same one on my Astra Coupe from the same year so I think @Burnside and I were actually there at the same time.  I was with a small Club called Club Vox, long since dissolved.

2010 was the first year I visited Billing in the Cav. I wasn't with any clubs then, so ended up parking at the far end of the grounds near the Auto Jumble if I remember correctly. 

Ended up driving back on the Sunday with my Brother and Father too. We brought some parts and a few model cars, then stayed for a Curry at the on site restaurant afterwards.

Hopefully I can go to another VBOA show at some point, even if I don't presently own a GM vehicle! 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

54 minutes ago, aldo135 said:

Liking this thread but I’ve nothing interesting to add! Had a mk2 years ago and a Calibra but sadly no mk3.  So have this photo from round the corner.  I think it’s been sitting as long as I’ve lived here, 8+ years... 

Looks like a GSi kit and grille. If it's a J plate then could well be too? Seriously thin on the ground now. I loved both of mine- the redtop combined with that chassis was a proper hoot.

[aldo135]

I think it is a GSI, will get a better photo next time i’m passing  

[Low Horatio gearbox]

This brings back memories, my dad had a mk1 and 2 mk2 but no mk3..  he went all posh with a 1.8 Carlton CD, though neighbour has  a new Mk3 company car new in GLS trim and being taken with the styling of it.

 

On 2/26/2021 at 10:38 PM, Bren said:

I think the values of 80s and 90s VX's are climbing now - of all the cars I have owned my mk2 SRi is the one car I would have back.

Have a look at the prices for any 80s or older Vx  quite steep.  Much like old fords but there are even  less Griffon badged products around by a factor of about 20.

On 2/26/2021 at 11:23 PM, Split_Pin said:

The centre caps worry me somewhat. Incredibly easy to steal and very hard to find for what is a desirable wheel. I've seen them go for £100 each now!

My dad had  a single centre cap for one of his Carlton 5 spoke starfish alloys stolen while we were on holiday  in Swanage in 1993 we would probbaly not have noticed immediatly but the theif had left a note on the windscreen  saying  "thanks" with an arrow pointing at the front drivers side  and the now missing item 🤷‍♂️

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Just came across this picture of my 2.0 GLi company car H49ELP. It didn’t have rear headrests when I got it but I robbed the rear shelf out of a slightly newer one that did have. I also ordered a set of late SRi trims and a GSi grille, which I justified to the transport manager would allow better cooling for towing my caravan!
I had an SRi afterwards , but preferred the higher gearing of the GLi , it was the quietest 100 mph motorway cruiser ever. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

9 hours ago, aldo135 said:

I think it is a GSI, will get a better photo next time i’m passing  

I clicked on the photo and could see the registration clearly then 🤪

It's a genuine GSi and it has no online mot history, so not been on the road for a minimum of fifteen years. Low owners too. I found another photo of it on Instagram and it looks rough. Apparently there used to be a GTE parked next to it, but the Cav is the one the owner refuses to sell. What a shame. I'd imagine the rear legs are made of cornflakes as it sits. 

[Cento16v]

I'll have to try find some pictures of my dad's, it was M***SVS, 2.0 16v ABS as it proudly stated on its boot 🤣

I liked its see through headrests, it was Satin Red Pearlescent and it was very shiny, no red SRI stripe on the bumpers either which was odd.

[Split_Pin]

Mine had a GSi grille in some earlier pictures but the standard item was refitted for some reason. No matter as it's still with the car. I'll refit it together with the 2 'Flying Chips' badges just to piss off the Corsa B facebook group who go mad for them as they are NLA!

Hopefully  I'll hear this week as I'm on annual leave so can get to have a play with it!

[Lacquer Peel]

What are the flying chips badges?

[Split_Pin]

They are the mid 90s logos from the Vauxhall touring car team. Vauxhall made a limited edition Vectra Supertouring on the back of this and they had these badges fitted. 

Way back in the early 00s it was popular to fit them to Corsas, I always wanted a pair for mine but they were hard to get. Unless you knew a sign maker and were prepared to pay silly money for a replica set.

About 10 years ago a seller on ebay was making sets of 3 as decals for about a fiver so I bought 2 sets, you can just see them on my Corsa. They are also now NLA. Corsa people seem to go daft for them so I'm going to fit these to the Cav when I get it back to annoy them! They look good against green too, I think.

[Split_Pin]

Sadly zero movement on my Cavalier at the garage thus far. That's been a week for a bit of welding and emissions sorting. 

I'll phone them tomorrow and see what's what.

[Burnside]

I'd forgot about the flying chips badges! I was given these from a friend of friend, after I'd spotted them on a ex drift Ford Sierra he was breaking weirdly.

Had always intended to fit them but could never decide where. 

With the replica GSI grile and clear side indicators I had in some of the pictures. I decided to remove them  before putting it up for sale on here. As I thought that most people on AS would prefer the OE look.

I always wanted a set of the early Astra MK3 GSI alloys for it too, but could never find a set for sensible money. 

Hope tomorrow brings you some good news on the Cav, btw will it be featuring on you YT channel? 

[Split_Pin]

7 hours ago, Burnside said:

Hope tomorrow brings you some good news on the Cav, btw will it be featuring on you YT channel? 

It absolutely will be, if I ever get it back! Really looking forward to it all.

[Burnside]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

It absolutely will be, if I ever get it back! Really looking forward to it all.

Can't wait for that @Split_Pin too, as I can surprise my best mate with a link to your channel. As he hasn't quite forgiven me for selling it yet! 

[Split_Pin]

Phoned the garage, they haven't touched it.

No timescale at present for getting it back.

[Split_Pin]

1 hour ago, Burnside said:

Can't wait for that @Split_Pin too, as I can surprise my best mate with a link to your channel. As he hasn't quite forgiven me for selling it yet! 

I'll post up a link once I get it back and cleaned up to show it's in good hands!

[Split_Pin]

Phoned the garage, no matter how hard they try they simply cannot get the emissions down to the required levels.

However, we both agreed that it is overfueling and that the cutting out when cold and high emissions are of course connected. 

He is going to try a few more things in Monday as they are simple engines but failing that its going to be a breaker I'm afraid. It may be that the engine has simply come to the end of its long, long life.

[jonoshep]

Brings back memories if my dads 1992 J reg Company Cavalier 2.0iL saloon J601 CTV. 

We travelled all over in it and took it to France, Holland, Norway. My dad loved it and was totally faultless, unlike the Rover 820i he replaced it with. 

As a 12 year old I was in charge of washing it, and i remember it feeling like a properly quick car, more so than the 1.6 Sierra it replaced. This was the era of the 'i' and being a lowly specced L with a 2.0i engine.

Good cars, fond memories. 

[Rusty_Rocket]

What's too high with the emissions Split_Pin, CO, HC, Lambda?  Like you say, there's nothing too advanced with those 8v engines and I'd imagine you could replace the entire SPi fuel system for next to nothing with 2nd hand bits!

Start with the favourite- coolant temperature sensor.

[Split_Pin]

That was the first thing @Lacquer Peel tried. I have discovered a chap who isnt too far from me breaking an identical engined one so if I need to replace everything he will hopefully  have it. I have bought Corsa bits from him in the past.

[puntopaul]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Phoned the garage, no matter how hard they try they simply cannot get the emissions down to the required levels.

However, we both agreed that it is overfueling and that the cutting out when cold and high emissions are of course connected. 

He is going to try a few more things in Monday as they are simple engines but failing that its going to be a breaker I'm afraid. It may be that the engine has simply come to the end of its long, long life.

Well if all else fails please don't break it! as I'm sure Burnside would take it back on. Or keep us posted on it, to throw it away now after lasting all this time would be absolute crime 😥

[Burnside]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Phoned the garage, no matter how hard they try they simply cannot get the emissions down to the required levels.

However, we both agreed that it is overfueling and that the cutting out when cold and high emissions are of course connected. 

He is going to try a few more things in Monday as they are simple engines but failing that its going to be a breaker I'm afraid. It may be that the engine has simply come to the end of its long, long life.

This is a blow, sounds to me that if it's cutting out when idling cold. Then the Idle Control valve isn't working. 

Possibly me previously blanking the egr valve off could be another reason though. 

The only other thing I could think of is that the  ECU might be faulty, which I'm sure I have one in the loft for FOC if you want to try it.  

BTW has the garage tried the paperclip test to see if any fault codes are stored? 

 

[JMotor]

Daft question. 

But has the coolant temp sensor ever been changed? 

That two pin bosch sensor that lives in the front of the engine by the thermostat housing. 

It tells the ECU the coolant temp of the engine and adjusts the fueling to suit. They are known to go bad. Also should only be replaced by a new bosch one. 

Sorry if it has and you know what I'm on about already. 

Edit - Didn't see that Rusty Rocket had said this already. D'oh! 

[Split_Pin]

41 minutes ago, Burnside said:

This is a blow, sounds to me that if it's cutting out when idling cold. Then the Idle Control valve isn't working. 

Possibly me previously blanking the egr valve off could be another reason though. 

The only other thing I could think of is that the  ECU might be faulty, which I'm sure I have one in the loft for FOC if you want to try it.  

BTW has the garage tried the paperclip test to see if any fault codes are stored? 

 

I'm hoping it's not because the bulkhead is rotten above the part of the footwell that holds the ECU. They like to go there.

Cheers for the offer, I may take you up on that, I will provide some money for that though

I would normally just have driven this home and done the fault finding in my garage  but I didn't want to drive it without an MOT except straight to the test station. 

My garage are good at fixing stuff but they are short on time so fault finding is not something they have time for right now. The paperclip test is an idea but I'm not sure there are any fault codes stored as the EML isnt on.

I wonder where I would stand with just getting them to do the welding, which they aren't worried about tackling and then driving it home? 

 

[Split_Pin]

23 minutes ago, JMotor said:

Daft question. 

But has the coolant temp sensor ever been changed? 

That two pin bosch sensor that lives in the front of the engine by the thermostat housing. 

It tells the ECU the coolant temp of the engine and adjusts the fueling to suit. They are known to go bad. Also should only be replaced by a new bosch one. 

Sorry if it has and you know what I'm on about already. 

Edit - Didn't see that Rusty Rocket had said this already. D'oh! 

I do know that Vauxhalls only like OEM sensors so that could be a shout.

[Matty]

On 3/1/2021 at 10:18 PM, Split_Pin said:

They are the mid 90s logos from the Vauxhall touring car team. Vauxhall made a limited edition Vectra Supertouring on the back of this and they had these badges fitted. 

Way back in the early 00s it was popular to fit them to Corsas, I always wanted a pair for mine but they were hard to get. Unless you knew a sign maker and were prepared to pay silly money for a replica set.

About 10 years ago a seller on ebay was making sets of 3 as decals for about a fiver so I bought 2 sets, you can just see them on my Corsa. They are also now NLA. Corsa people seem to go daft for them so I'm going to fit these to the Cav when I get it back to annoy them! They look good against green too, I think.

Said it before I know, but that's aged really well

[Lacquer Peel]

I replaced the coolant temperature sensor at the back of the head which I'd read was the one for the ECU. It's an Intermotor NOS one. Sounds like it might be worth testing the front one too which I assumed was just for the gauge.